Joanne Rowling, born on 31 July 1965, is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained international attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 375 million copies worldwide.
JK Rowling’s new novel arrives with the high drama and state secrecy of a royal birth. Its due date is announced in February, and in April the disclosure of its title, The Casual Vacancy, makes international news. The release of the cover image in July commands headlines again, and Fleet Street(英国媒体) commissions (委托) a “design guru” to analyze its mysterious artistic beauty, in search of clues as to what might lie within. Waterstones(英国连锁书店) predicts the novel will be “the bestselling fiction title this year”. Literary critics begin to publish preliminary (初步的) reviews, revealing what they think they will think about a book they have not yet even read.
I am required to sign more legal documents than would typically be involved in buying a house before I am allowed to read The Casual Vacancy, under tight security in the London offices of Little, Brown. Even the publishers have been forbidden to read it, and they give me the manuscript carefully, religiously, as though handling a priceless Ming vase. Afterwards, I am instructed never to disclose the address of Rowling’s Edinburgh office where the interview will take place.
In the 15 years since she published her first Harry Potter, Rowling has become both universally known and almost unrecognizable. The untidy red hair who used to write in the cafes of Leith has slowly transformed into a shiny fashionable lady, one who is beyond recognition behind wealth and control. Once a penniless single mother, she became the first person on earth to make $1billion by writing books, but her rare public appearances suggested a faint ice maiden quality.
Rowling is completely relaxed about this arrangement. Warm and energetic, quick to laugh, she chatters so freely that her publicist gets nervous and tells her to lower her voice. “Am I speaking too loud?” She doesn’t look a bit concerned. “Well, I can’t get passionate and whisper!” When I tell her I loved the book, her arms shoot up in celebration. “Oh my God! I’m so happy! That’s so amazing to hear. Thank you so much! You’ve made me incredibly happy. Oh my God!” Anyone listening would take her for a debut author, meeting her first ever fan.
In a way, that’s what she is. Rowling has written seven Harry Potter books, and sold more than 450m copies, but her first novel for adults is unlike them in every respect.
“Obviously I need to be in some form of vehicle to have a decent idea,” she laughs. Having dreamed up Potter on a train, “This time I was on a plane. And I thought: local election! And I just knew. I had that totally physical response you get to an idea that you know will work. It’s a rush of adrenaline (肾上腺素), it’s chemical. I had it with Harry Potter and I had it with this. So that’s how I know.”The "design guru" in Paragraph 2 is probably __________.
| A．a publisher | B．a reader | C．a writer | D．an expert |
Why was the author required to sign so many legal documents before reading the book?
| A．Because it's a commercial secret before the book is published. |
| B．Because publishers are afraid the author is a commercial spy. |
| C．Because the author is so dishonest that publishers can't trust him. |
| D．Because the author is involved in buying a house. |
From the passage, we can learn the following facts about Rowling EXCEPT that __________.
| A．she used to write stories in the cafes. |
| B．she often makes public appearance after she is famous. |
| C．she was very poor before she became well-known. |
| D．she has become a wealthy lady with good quality. |
According to the interview with Rowling, we can infer that she is __________.
| A．aggressive and energetic | B．quiet and easygoing |
| C．enthusiastic and lovely | D．modest and shy |
The author writes the passage mainly to __________.
| A．introduce JK Rowling and her new book |
| B．describe great changes in JK Rowling |
| C．advocate readers to buy Harry Potter |
| D．tell readers the contents of the new book |
The first MP4 player was born years ago. Soon many music fans were wondering how fantastic it is! If you have been into technology enough, perhaps you may have a knowledge of the MP4. If not, you do need to know something before buying one, even if you are familiar with MP3. MP3 is the CD-like disc with greater capacity. How about MP4? This small digital product will really enrich the joy from listening to music. You can even feel the “touch” of music to your soul!
Now, some similar digital products advertised as “MP4 player” are simply MP3 players, which do not play video and MPEG format and also lack other particular functions. These products confuse some buyers, as they may think the “MP4” players simply mean they can do more than MP3.
What is MP4?
It is a multimedia container. It is not only used to store digital audio and digital video streams, especially those of MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and pictures. As a most modern container format, it allows streaming over the Internet.
With the help of a piece of MP4 video equipment, you can change various programs such as MPEG to MP4, ASX to MP4, AVI to MP4 and so on, which can be done very quickly and easily without any effect on the sound quality. By installing DVD-MP4 software, you can transfer particular music from a DVD to an MP4 video file. It really excites your listening music experience.
Then, there is MP4 advanced and you can set your own collection of all the programs—TV shows, games, and music. You can even see movies which are still running in cinema. What else digital product could you possibly ask for?It is suggested here that you should ______ before buying an MP4 player.
| A．first be a music fan | B．have a knowledge of MP4 |
| C．get familiar with MP3 | D．buy a CD-like disc |
From the passage, we can see that MP4 is ______ MP3.
| A．much bigger than | B．just as advanced as |
| C．not so particular as | D．more functional than |
Which function of MP4 is NOT directly mentioned in this passage?
A.Storing digital audio and video streams.
B.Recording some movies in cinema.
C.Playing TV shows, games and movies.
D.Transferring particular music from a DVD.From the last sentence, it’s clear that the writer tries to tell us it is ______.
| A．reasonable to buy other digital products |
| B．impossible to buy something else |
| C．a very wise choice to buy an MP4 |
| D．an exciting experience to buy an MP3 |
China’s economic growth “hard to predict”
The worsening global economic situation makes it difficult for China to predict its growth for next year, a senior official said on Friday.
“How fast China’s economy will grow next year is uncertain,” Liu He, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economy Work, told China Daily.
“To a large extent, the rate will be decided by the external(外部) situation,” Liu said during a discussion with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other economists in Beijing.
“This year, GDP is estimated to grow at 9.4 or 9.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent last year,” he said. “However, the impact of the current financial turbulence on our economy is much less than on the rest of the world.”
Nicholas Stern, a former UK government advisor, also told China Daily it will take at least one or two years for the world to recover from the recession, which is now spreading from the US and the UK to the rest of the world.
“We don’t know how long the recession will last, but it is unlikely to be short,” he said.
Liu said China can use the downturn(衰退) as an opportunity to restructure its economy, which has relied heavily on government investment, foreign trade and low-cost technology over the past years.
“When the economy is experiencing fast growth, companies are unwilling to upgrade their technologies,” Liu said.
“The slowdown gives such firms the opportunity to enhance(提高) their competitive edge through better technologies.”
(From China Daily 2009-01-11)How many people are mentioned in this passage?
| A．Only 2. | B．No more than 3. | C．Not more than 4. | D．At least 5. |
It can be inferred from Liu’s words that the impact of the current financial turbulence on China’s economy is ______.
| A．more | B．less | C．the most | D．the least |
The underlines word “extent” probably means ______.
| A．sense | B．degree | C．size | D．depth |
According to the passage, the reason why Liu said this downturn is an opportunity for China to restructure its economy is that ______.
| A．China’s economy will not depend on government investment in the future |
| B．Foreign trade will grow in the future |
| C．The downturn will force China’s companies to upgrade their technologies |
| D．Low-cost technologies will not exist in China |
In the hit film The bucket List, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in hospital in California after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Between them they cook up a “bucket list” – a to-do list of all they want to do before they kick the bucket. The movie makes you wonder what would be on your bucket list. So let’s pack up some and see what it would cost to go out and have a little fun.
THE PYRAMIDS, GIZA, EGYPT
On to the pyramids, surely on anyone’s bucket list. Exotik Tours can take you there on a variety of trips, including their popular Egypt Express which includes three nights in Cairo and a three-night Nile Cruise(乘船游览). From $1,384, including four-and five-star accommodation, 12 meals and a ton of sightseeing.
www.exotiktours.com416-646-3347
TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA
One of the world’s most fascinating images, India’s Taj Mahal makes even Nicholson and Freeman look calm. Toronto’s Goway Travel has many suggestions for India, including a three-day independent visit to Agra. Stay at the attractive Oberoi AmarVilas overlooking the Taj. Include two breakfasts, touring and airport transfer from $1,420.
www.gowaytravel.com 416-322-1034
THE GREAT WALL, CHINA
If the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, check into Tour East Holiday’s four-day Amazing Beijing Tour for $580 per person, four-star accommodation, sightseeing including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, breakfasts and two lunches, transportation and guide.
www.toureastholidays.com 416-929-0888
THE HIMALAYAS, NEPAL
And on to the Himalayas. Talk about “something truly majestic(壮丽的). See the top of the world on GAP Adventures’ Everest Adventure tour, a 15-day exploration including Everest Base Camp, teahouse lodge stays, and walking through Sherpa villages. Incredibly affordable at just $665 plus local payment of $250. GAP Adventures warns that this is a physically demanding trip.
www.gapadventures.com 416-260-0999The underlined phrase “kick the bucket” in Paragraph 1 means ______.
| A．come to life | B．play a game | C．pass away | D．list interesting places |
If you take on the Everest Adventure tour, you should be aware that ____.
| A．the sights may not be so good. |
| B．It is a tiring trip |
| C．you may not be used to the food there |
| D．it is an expensive trip |
According to the passage, where can you enjoy a view of the whole Taj Mahal?
| A．In Sherpa village. | B．Near the Forbidden City |
| C．Through Egypt Express. | D．At Oberoi AmarVilas |
Which of the following websites may offer you more information about Agra?
| A．www.gowaytravel.com | B．www.exotiktours.com |
| C．www.gapadventures.com | D．www.toureastholidays.com |
Researchers who helped discover a new species of Mexican butterfly are offering to sell the naming rights to raise money to fund more research. Co-discoverer Andrew Warren is hoping to raise at least $50,000 by auctioning(拍卖) off the rights to name the 4-inch “owl eye” butterfly, which lives in Sonora, a Mexican state bordering Arizona.
“That would support at least two years of research for our team down in Mexico,” Warren said. “Money goes a long way down here in Mexico.”
According to the scientific tradition, discoverers of a new species have the say in naming it. In recent years, some discoverers have auctioned off their naming rights to raise money.
Warren said the amount being sought for the butterfly is not out of the question, noting that naming rights for a new monkey species brought in $650,000 two years ago. A group of 10 new fish species that went on the naming auction block at the same time earlier this year brought in a total of $2 million.
The butterfly discovered by Warren and researcher George Austin ranges as far north as Mexico.
The butterfly was actually in a collection, misidentified as an example of another new species, at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of National History in Gainesville, said Warren. They soon began the hard process of determining that it was indeed a “new” model of butterfly.
After checking photos and comparing it with other known species, they determined it was a separate species.Where did the researchers discover the new species of butterflies?
| A．In Sonora. | B．In Mexico state. |
| C．In a place in US. | D．Near the US-Mexico border. |
Why will the researchers sell the naming rights of the butterfly?
| A．To raise money for wildlife protection. |
| B．To raise money for more research. |
| C．To cause people’s attention to the new discovery. |
| D．To cover the cost of the research. |
When the butterfly was first discovered, people thought ______.
| A．it was a new species at once |
| B．it wasn’t a species of American butterfly |
| C．it belonged to the monarch branches |
| D．it belonged to a new species |
We can infer from the passage that ______.
| A．the new species of butterfly live both in the US and Mexico |
| B．it took the researchers a lot of efforts to determine the new species of butterfly |
| C．the researchers are not sure whether they can get the money they want from the auction |
| D．it is the first time that the new species of butterfly has been found |
All areas of the world face a nurses shortage. But the shortage is most severe in developing countries. Many of their nurses move to the more developed nations for better pay, better working conditions and better chances for career development. For example, nearly 2,000 nurses left the Caribbean between 2002 and 2006.
The Caribbean nations currently have about 1 nurse for every 1,000 people. The ratio(比例) of nurses to population is about 10 times higher in the United States and countries in the European Union(EU). Now, more than 21,000 nurses who trained in the Caribbean are working in the United States, Canada and Britain.
Gaetan Lafortune is an official of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(O.E.C.D) in Paris. He says the nurses shortage also affects industrialized countries. He says, “There is concern in most O.E.C.D.countries that the number of nurses is too small to meet the demand. And what is more worrying is that their concern is sort of growing.” Mr Lafortune says a large number of nurses are expected to retire within the next 10 years. At the same time, the health care needs of aging populations are expected to grow, intensifying the shortage of nurses.
Gaetan Lafortune said, “In the U.S., for instance, some researchers have found that there may be a shortage of close to a million nurses by 2020.” The United States is 1 of the 21 countries in the O.C.E.D. Gaetan Lafortune says in the recent years many of the countries increased their efforts to hire foreign nurses. As a result of that, O.E.C.D. countries were mainly exporting their shortage problem to countries that may have an even greater need for these nurses.What will be the main causes of the global nurses shortage in the next 10 years?
a. The demand for nurses will decrease.
b. Many nurses will be too old to work.
c. Many rich countries will hire more foreign nurses.
d. Nurses are often looked down upon.
e. Aging populations will increase rapidly
| A．a and b | B．b and c | C．b and e | D．c and d |
The underlined word “intensify” in para. 3 means “________”.
| A．strengthen | B．neglect | C．reduce | D．cause |
We know from this text that America and the EU countries ______.
| A．refuse to offer equal pay to foreign nurses |
| B．have at least one nurse out of 100 people |
| C．don’t like to train nurses of their own countries |
| D．have more serious nursing problems than the Caribbean nations |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Nursing is no longer a worthwhile profession in most countries. |
| B．The different attitudes towards nursing in different countries. |
| C．Nurses shortage will result in serious consequences. |
| D．The health care industry needs more nurses. |